Ananalysis Of Refuge: An Unnatural History Of Family And Place In The Ecofeminist Perspective

Terry Tempest Williams is an American author, naturalist, and environmental activist. As a native of Utah, her writing is influenced by the sight of the Great Salt Lake. In addition, Mormon background also prompts her appreciation with land.Terry Tempest Williams was focused on the literary spotlight in 1991 with the release of her book, Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place. It describes how the Great Salt Lake rose to record levels and eventually flooded the wetlands that serve as a refuge for migratory birds in Northern Utah. Williams tells the story about her family's struggle with cancer as a result of living downwind from a nuclear test site. Nature's damage and women's cancer are combined together in the text, so my thesis attempts to interpret this text in the ecofeminist perspective.The thesis consists of three parts: introduction, body and conclusion.The introduction presents a brief and general review of Terry Tempest Williams and her works, and then summarizes the previous studies on her classical work: Refuge: an Unnatural History of Family and Place. Meanwhile, it interprets the concept of ecofeminism and its core notion. It comes to the conclusion that it is feasible to interpret the text in the ecofeminist perspective.The body consists of three chapters. Chapter One tries to explore the relationship between women and nature in patriarchal society. What causes the connection between women and nature? Why are women regarded as nature and nature regarded as women? By Williams's describing the appearance of breast cancer on women in Utah, and the Great Salt Lake's rising followed by the disappearing of the Bear River Bird Refuge, not only women but also nature is in an adverse and oppressed situation. This makes women more intimate and closer to nature than men. Thus women stand on the same side with nature in such a situation.Chapter Two mainly focuses on the domination over women and nature in patriarchal society. In patriarchal society, women are considered as subordinate creature to men. Williams comes from Mormon culture where authority is respected and obedience is reserved. When facing the nuclear tests, women only receive the radiation silently without any resistance, which leads to the occurrence of cancer. At the same time, nature also suffers from being vandalized. The Great Salt Lake's unstable level makes the change of the Bear River Bird Refuge. Lake's rising causes the wetland's disappearing which results in the variety and quantity of birds that Terry Tempest Williams loves the most. All these events come to an end that the losses of family and nature.Chapter Three explores women's quest for the refuge with nature. In Williams's eyes, women, nature, and men are equal subjects in the same community. Women and nature are not attachment to men and should not be oppressed by men. Women should fight for themselves—the health, the rights—with appealing humankind to close to nature, love nature and blend into nature. Humankind improves the worse environment and makes the unnatural history natural in a harmonious status.The conclusion part illustrates the thought of Terry Tempest Williams. Williams has constructed a harmonious society between human and nature out of anthropocentrism and patriarchy. It enlightens us that modern people should abandon the concept of patriarchy to get close to nature and melt into nature. Only in this way can we solve present ecological crisis and protect the mutual home and live in a happy and peaceful world.